Training and Technical Assistance Announcement

 

New Trainings!

Understanding Anger

Thursday, March 13th, 2025


9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M


St. James’s Episcopal Church (Journey Home)

1018 Farmington Ave.

West Hartford, CT 06107

CCEH Member Rate: $50

Non-Member Rate: $65

Register Here

Please contact info@cceh.org if you require an invoice or would like to register more than 10 people.


Please contact Amber Freeman at afreeman@cceh.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Across different care settings, practitioners routinely see clients whose anger reactions contribute to significant loss and suffering. While anger is a frequent and universal human emotion, it has received surprisingly little attention as a clinical problem.


When addressing anger, practitioners commonly engage in unproductive conversation (e.g., clients venting about unfair actions of others) and struggle to help clients move away from impulsive reactions toward more thoughtful decisions and behaviors likely to lead to better outcomes. 


In this session, participants will practice identifying the key features of client anger reactions by applying a 6-stage Anger Episode Model Interview to understand how anger is experienced and expressed in the client’s real-life interactions. The analysis of anger episodes form the groundwork for effective case management and collaboratively identifying relevant intervention goals. A flexible menu of well-established interventions for managing anger difficulties will be reviewed. 


This workshop is highly interactive, incorporating structured learning activities that include recorded work samples, small group exercises, and “real”-plays. This session provides an efficient way to update your knowledge and skills in this challenging clinical area.


Learning Objectives


In this workshop, participants will:


  • Understand common anger myths and learn about scientifically supported anger facts
  • Be able to understand client anger reactions according to a 6-stage sequential anger episode model
  • Practice conducting an anger episode interview to efficiently identify relevant anger components in clients’ typical reactions
  • Acquire knowledge of empirically supported interventions and additional resources to help clientele with dysregulated anger


Presenter:


Raymond Chip Tafrate, PhD

Clinical Psychologist | Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Central Connecticut State University


Raymond Chip Tafrate is on the advisory board of the forensic special interest group for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, a diplomate of the National Anger Management Association, the editorial board for Criminal Justice and Behavior, and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. Dr. Tafrate frequently consults with criminal justice agencies and programs, and has trained thousands of professionals to work more effectively with adolescents and adults with difficult-to-change problems such as criminal behavior and anger dysregulation. He has presented his research throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and has published numerous articles and book chapters on motivational interviewing.

 

 His most recent books are:

 

 

 

Verbal De-Escalation and Crisis Intervention Training for Cold Weather Providers


February 10th

2:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.

Register Here

This verbal de-escalation and crisis intervention training is designed specifically for cold weather providers within the homeless response system. The training focuses on equipping staff with effective communication strategies to de-escalate tense situations and manage crises with empathy and professionalism. Participants will learn techniques for defusing conflict, recognizing signs of distress, and responding to individuals in crisis with care and respect. The goal is to enhance safety, build trust, and ensure a compassionate, responsive approach to individuals experiencing homelessness during the cold weather season.

 

*Although this training is targeted for cold weather providers, all housing providers are encouraged to attend, as the verbal de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques discussed during the training can be applied for all.

 

Presenters:

Stephanie Boyce, LMSW Director of Homeless Prevention, Outreach and Food Access Programs

Hands on Hartford

 

Evan Serio Program Manager Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Inc.

The Essentials of Motivational Interviewing

Tuesday, February 11th and Thursday, February 13th

9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.


St. James’s Episcopal Church (Journey Home)

1018 Farmington Ave.

West Hartford, CT 06107

CCEH Member Rate: $ 95

Non-Member Rate: $ 120

Register Here

Please contact info@cceh.org if you require an invoice or would like to register more than 10 people.


Please contact Amber Freeman at afreeman@cceh.org if you have any questions or concerns.

This two-day workshop will provide participants with the foundational knowledge and skills to use Motivational Interviewing (MI) with their clients. Across a broad range of care settings, successfully engaging and harnessing clients’ own motivations for making important life changes is a key ingredient for success. The most efficient way to understand the dynamics of the MI model, and to develop competency, is through practice -- learning by doing. Therefore, these sessions are highly interactive, incorporating structured learning activities including case examples, audio/video-recorded work samples, small group exercises, and “real”-plays. In this workshop participants will be progressively guided to improve their skills from basic to more advanced levels. Most importantly, they will be able to transfer and incorporate newly learned MI skills into real-world interactions.

 

Over the course of this workshop, participants will become familiar with the basic theory of MI, the skills for fostering an effective working alliance, and practice ways of responding effectively to challenging client statements to de-escalate conflict. Emphasis will also be placed on fine-tuning participants’ ability to recognize, evoke, and respond to client “change language,” an essential skill for fostering awareness and motivation. The materials and examples will be tailored to scenarios involving housing and homelessness issues.

 

Learning Objectives: 

 

In this workshop participants will:

 

  1. Develop proficiency in using Motivational Interviewing (MI) with clientele struggling with homelessness
  2. Recognize the essential features of the MI communication style and how it differs from other approaches
  3. Learn strategies to focus conversations on relevant factors related to homelessness
  4. Become skilled at engaging reluctant clients and forming a powerful and productive alliance at the very first meeting
  5. Increase practitioners’ capacity to de-escalate conflict and respond to challenging client statements in a way that reduces defensiveness and moves interactions forward
  6. Be able to recognize, evoke, and reinforce clients’ own reasons for changing risky, problematic, and self-defeating behaviors


Presenter:


Raymond Chip Tafrate, PhD

Clinical Psychologist | Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Central Connecticut State University

Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness

(860) 721-7876 | training@cceh.org | www.cceh.org

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